Wow, so this is Whistler

RICK MACDONNELL, SnowSeekers Inc.

It's embarrassing, but today I finally got in a ski on Whistler Mountain. In my defense, the frickin' Olympics are kind of going on right now, so don't start building my cross or anything. Realistically, I can ski any time I want and I may never experience the Olympics first-hand ever again. Not much of a toss-up, in my opinion.
That's what I thought.
Oh my God! This place is incredible! I am such an idiot for waiting until the second to last day to hit the slopes here. On my second trip up the chair I literally sulked.
Like a child who's played with his own toys for a week before realizing his friend's toys kick so much more ass, I pouted my way down the mountain for the rest of the day. I hate to even think of what I must have looked like riding the chair lift.
"Dude, he is okay?"
"I think his girlfriend just broke up with him."
"Ahhh."
The original plan was to ride with Doc Pow and colleague, Brandon Boucheur for the afternoon, but on our first ride of the day  – our first ride – I lost the boys amidst the fog of Whistler Bowl and that was that.
It kind of worked out, though, as it allowed me to explore a bit of this behemoth on my own.
It hit me at one point that, just six months ago, I was a little boy from Nova Scotia with next to no skiing experience. Now, I'm busting down Boomer Bowl on Whistler. I still shake my head at it.

I'm shaking it right now as I type this. It's straight-up stupid that I do this every day, that I get paid for this stuff.
What really surprised me about the hill was how empty it was. It's not that there aren't a lot of skiers and boarders out there, it's that the mountains are so HUGE, dude.
No matter where you go, it's almost like you've rented the hill for the day. It's incredible, considering that it was a Saturday afternoon during Whistler's busiest month ever.
Thankfully, we'll be hitting up first tracks tomorrow before heading to Merlin's for "the game." One afternoon wasn't nearly enough. Hell, a week isn't enough.
Something tells me I'll be back though.
And by "something," I mean Doc Pow.

Stay tuned to www.snowseekers.ca/olympicnews for daily blogs, videos and more throughout the Olympics.

For full stories on Western Canada's winter destinations, visit snowseekers.ca and friend us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter.

For the love of pancakes

RICK MACDONNELL, SnowSeekers Inc.

No disrespect to Doc Pow and the bountiful breakfasts that have been cooked up in the SnowSeekers RV all week, but today's pancake breakfast at Canada House was the best meal I've had before noon all Olympics long.
I stuffed myself on pancakes and sausage, and treated myself to my first juice box since I was probably 15. It was in keeping with the atmosphere, though, as dozens of kids were on hand to make crafts, listen to some tunes, play the Nintendo Wii, and get their pictures taken with Quatchi and Miga.
It was hilarious to see how the kids largely ignored the athletes, including Canadian Olympian, Jason Myslicki (nordic combined). They were way more interested in the mascots, mounties, and, predictably, the games.
Luckily for the Olympicans, there were a fair number of adults who wanted nothing more than to shake his hand and congratulate him on a job well done (myself included).
Kids are kids, though, and no amount of Olympic glory can trump Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Winter Games.
Mayor Ken Melamed was also on hand to say a heartfelt thanks to everyone who got involved with the Games, participated in their own way, and made these past two weeks something that Whistler can be proud of.
Given the considerable negativity in British Columbia in the months approaching the Olympics, I have to say that both Vancouver and Whistler have come through and then some.
"I haven't spoken to a single person that hasn't said that this has been the best time of their lives, here in Whistler," Melamed said to the gathered crowd at Canada House. "I'm getting a lot of request to do it every year. I'm not sure we can pull that off, but let's celebrate and enjoy this time together. Thank you, again, everyone in Whistler for being here and helping to welcome the world."
As I heard the mayor speak I suddenly realized that in about 30 hours this would all be over. This Olympic journey has been a long time coming for so many people (talk to Doc Pow and he'll regale you with a delightful tale of his 14 year wait), so it's kind of surreal to think that by tomorrow night we'll all be heading back to our regular lives.
While we're here, though, I can't think of anything better than to chow down on some syrup-drenched sausage. If you'll excuse me, I'd like to get back to my juice box, please.

Stay tuned to www.snowseekers.ca/olympicnews for daily blogs, videos and more throughout the Olympics.

For full stories on Western Canada's winter destinations, visit snowseekers.ca and friend us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter.

Truly Canadain

WILL COLFORD, SnowSeekers Inc.

Canada House opened today as any good Canadian venue should: with breakfast. The pancakes, music, and maple syrup were all in plentiful supply this morning as Canada House opened its doors on the first day of Olympic competition.
The mood was all "Please" and "Thank yous," "After you" and "I insist." Even though it was packed, everyone was eager to make space for one more hungry Canadian. Families with kids, and glass-eyed spectators alike ate with verve and cheer.
We as Canadians, after all, have a lot to cheer about at these Olympics as our nation gets to host the world and demonstrate our hospitality.
Even though the games represent the panicle of international competition, the mood within the village is anything but competitive. The conversation this morning buzzed with last night’s ceremony event.
In true Olympic opening ceremony fashion, something had to go slightly wrong.
Off the top of my mind, I remember a foible in Sydney with the hydraulics, and a big scandal in Beijing involving the replacement of one little girl who could sing for a more aesthetically pleasing one who couldn't.
However, unlike those ceremonies, ours was received by Canadians with whit and comedy. We are able to laugh at ourselves and let others in on the joke. By comparison to other opening mishaps, cutting to Steve Nash awkwardly looking around, signaling the hydraulic malfunction was more hilarious than embarrassing. Moreover, the rest of the ceremony was downright spectacular. The lighting effects with the whales, the fiddling and dancing routine, and KD Lang’s beautiful rendition of Halleluiah were just a few highlights.
So what if the delegates were a bit late and Wayne had to fend off some ‘jovial’ yahoos when travelling to the outside torch site. As Canadians, we expect these lesser important quirks.
Remember when Chrétien got ‘attacked’ with a pie to the face? Or when our flag was hung upside down during a medal ceremony? Or who could forget Rebagliati’s ‘performance enhancement’?
While other nations would be embarrassed, we take it in stride, and let out a collective chuckle over some pancakes.      

Stay tuned to www.snowseekers.ca/olympicnews for daily blogs, videos and more throughout the Olympics.

For full stories on Western Canada's winter destinations, visit snowseekers.ca and friend us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter.